The November 14 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks have led to numerous landslide dams being formed in North Canterbury and Kaikoura rivers and streams. Information on these landslide dams is available here. As a precaution it is strongly advised to keep away from all riverbeds north of the Waiau River in case there are any sudden releases of water.

Irrigation restriction details

Update:18th November 2016
Due to the earthquakes water level recorders in the Kaikoura District are unreliable and therefore no irrigation restrictions are in place.

Environment Canterbury will apply discretion on the enforcement of the condition requiring a consent holder to cease irrigation once a restriction is notified.

This use of discretion is contrary to the terms of the restriction condition but will be applied for reasons of the consent holder’s health and safety.

The use of discretion will apply only to irrigation occurring from the time the restriction takes effect at midnight until 9 hours later at 9am.

The consent conditions allow the consent holder to commence irrigation as soon as restriction is lifted, however Environment Canterbury understands that consent holders will forgo irrigating for a period of time equivalent to the hours of irrigation that have occurred after the period of restriction commenced. For example, instead of commencing irrigation at midnight (when the restriction is lifted) they will wait until 9am or whatever earlier time corresponds to the hour they previously turned off.

Click on any of the low flow site links below to see a full list of all consent numbers linked to that site.

River flow and restriction information for the following day will become available:

For rivers whose flow is calculated via a telemetered river flow sites at 3pm; and

For rivers whose flow is gauged or assessed by staff in the field at 5pm.

The flow and restriction information in today's column will become Today's Flow and Today's Restrictions at midnight. Any changes in flow and restrictions will only update during this time and apply from midnight.